Blackened Memories
by Harley's Little Harlequin
Summary: Pictures can say thousands of words but they very seldom tell whole stories about the moment in time frozen within the paper frame and stored within a glass prison upon a wall for everyone to deftly see.


**Blackened Memories**

 _July 16, 1960. Black Family Manor._

The sun was shining brightly through the windows draped in deep emerald green velvet drapes of the huge manor nestled into the English countryside. Outside on the sprawling green and neatly trimmed lawn lounged three children, all three girls, one with long black hair that curled uncontrollably down her back like a silk curtain, skin white as new ivory keys on a piano and eyes such a dark stormy grey they could have been black. Beside her sat a girl slightly younger with chocolate brown hair that fell over her shoulders and down her back in neat waves, her skin though pale had a rosey glow in her cheeks and her grey eyes gleamed like gems in the sunlight. The youngest of the three was a small girl with hair so blonde it could have been white, her skin was as pale as the other two but was flushed with the same red hue created by the hot sun on porcelain cheeks. There names...Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa Black.

Bellatrix was the oldest of the three girls, at 9 years old, and was concentrating on braiding the stems of two daisies together to finish the ring of them on the ground before her. Andromeda was the second oldest, at 7 years old, and was plucking strands of grass from the ground boredly as the gentle breeze blew her hair. And lastly was Narcissa, she was only 5 years old and the youngest of the sisters, who was humming happily to herself as she watched a bug crawl over a leaf in front of her.

Andromeda looked up from the grass to the sky before giving an exaggerated sigh and falling back onto her back so the grass tickled her ears and her foot was nearly touching her older sister's daisy chain causing Bellatrix to look up.

"Watch what you're doing Andy! you'll break two hours of work!"

Andromeda pushed herself up onto her elbows to look at her sister and rolled her eyes.

"It isn't my fault you can't make a bloody daisy crown! by the time you're done making one for your big head mine and Cissy's will be wilted!"

Bellatrix leered at her sister smacking her foot.

"Shut up you stupid twit I'm the eldest so I can take as long as I want!"

Andromeda opened her mouth to make a comment about being a twit when Narcissa looked up at the two of them.

"I'll tell mummy you called Andy a name Bella if you don't stop."

Both girls looked at their little sister before at each other and away again returning to their own tasks. Andy laid back down and looked at the clouds as they lazily drifted by taking on random unnamable patterns and shapes unaware that her older sister had moved from her spot and walked away as she closed her eyes. Moments later her eyes flew open as something cold and wet covered her. Upon opening her eyes she found ice water had been dumped on her and Bella was standing over her smirking with her now finished daisy crown sitting lopsided on her wild mane of black curls.

Andy got to her feet and pushed her sister's shoulders so she stepped back a step or two losing her smirk.

"What was that for? now I'm all wet!"

Bella rolled her eyes crossing her arms.

"Stop being a baby it was just a little fun besides you'll dry off in the sun."

Andy growled stomping her foot.

"I don't care! you're always picking on me just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you can get by with everything!"

Bella opened her mouth to yell back but before she could the door on the front of the manor opened and a woman wearing a long black dress stepped out looking across the yard at the two girls with piercing black eyes, from behind her Cissy's blonde head peeked around her legs.

"Bellatrix, Andromeda that is enough, you are the two heiresses the family name you should not be fighting this way. Now Bellatrix come along there is someone here to see you, Andromeda you are in charge of keeping an eye on Narcissa."

Bella smirked and walked to her mother's side watching as Cissy went to Andy and took her hand as they watched the other two go back into the house. Andy sighed and walked with her little sister to the swing attached to a tree branch.

"What is Bella doing inside? Is she in trouble?"

Andy looked down at Cissy who was climbing onto the swing and gave a small smile.

"No Cissy she isn't in trouble, as much as she should be she isn't, one of those boys is probably here to see her again."

Andy shook her head as she gently pushed her sister on the swing, her sister was only 9 and already she was being betrothed to a boy and after that happened she was next, she had heard her mother and father discussing it the night before when she passed the dining room to get a drink, by the way they had talked all three girls already had boys they would one day marry when they were old enough.

"Boys are icky, why would she want to be around one?"

Andy looked at her sister and cracked a smile.

"I have no idea Cissy, none at all."

She sighed and looked up at the large picture window that looked into the drawing room where she could see Bella standing with a boy with black hair that was a little older than her 9 years and smiling like a fool as she listened to him speak. In a few years while her older sister was away at Hogwarts Andromeda herself would go through the same ritual of meeting with the boy her parent had picked for her then she would follow her sister and marry him to carry on the family lines and keep the blood pure. She sighed again feeling constricted by the shadow of her sister that constantly hung over her and the longer it hung over her the more outcast she felt knowing she didn't look at things like the rest of her family did.

 _ **A/N: Okay so this chapter isn't terribly long (and maybe not my best ending) but I hope it is okay and that you all enjoyed it! please review so I know if I should write more or not.**_


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